RIVER VIEW GOLF COMPANY - STAFF REPORTS 1985-1986

Home Browse Search

' ' M, • • Forrest Paull Park Site. This 3.4 acre site is located just south of Memory Lane, adjacent to and west of the river channel (see Exhibit A). Mr. James had an option on the property with the Orange County Department of Harbor, Beaches and Parks to build a new clubhouse with a pro shop, lounge, restaurant and banquet facilities as well as a 32,000 square foot sports preventive medicine center. He had negotiated direct access from the intersection of Garden Grove Boulevard and The City Drive with the City of Orange, with the modification of the traffic signal from a "T" to a full four-way intersection. Mr. James was unable to secure timely financing for the project and his lease option expired. The County has indicated, however, that they would be willing to lease the site to the City should we take over the golf course. Support From Other Affected Public Agencies. Staff has met with representatives of the Santa Ana River Flood Protection Agency (S.A.R.F.P.A.),tthe Corps of Engineers and the County of Orange. The S.A.R.F.P.A. felt that our moving ahead on the golf course project would not politically compromise the success of the current effort in Washington to fund the All River project. The Corps of Engineers, as part of the Federal project, is planning on making improvements to protect the golf course and was agreeable to working with the City in coordinating our project with the Federal project. Preliminary discussions with the County of Orange indicate that they would be quite agreeable to the City taking over the golf course and they were very encouraging about the possible redevelopment of the golf course. Greenbelt Concept. As pointed out by Mr. James in his letter of July 3, 1985 (Exhibit B), the innovative design and use of the riverbed for the 18-hole course received substantial media coverage when it first opened. The concept of "recreation by reclamation" is most notable in the Arizona and Palm Springs areas, where recreational features have been integrated into the engineering of urban flood control plans for several years. In Scottsdale, Ari- zona, the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt Flood Control Project (see Exhibit C) has resulted in the development and maintenance of 611 acres by the private sector and 338 acres by the public sector. Included are four public golf courses privately owned and operated, and a private membership golf course; five parks with lakes for fishing, sailing, and picnicking as well as traditional recreational facilities; and, a nature trail and sanctuary. As an urban center, Santa Ana has a shortage of open space. Federal standards specify 10 acres of open space per one thousand residents as the ideal. California State Park and Recreation standards, which are the adopted standards for the City, specify two acres per thousand in population, indicating a need for 400 acres of open space in the City. Excluding schools, Santa Ana currently has 355 acres of park lands. Converting the river channel acreage within City limits to a greenbelt would almost double the open space within the City. While admittedly a long term project, it is a concept worth exploring in further detail. /9~